Any [future] German PhD students out there?

[MsCastorp]

Hello everyone!

I will applying to PhD programs in German literature in the US this coming fall--is anyone else doing the same? I'm currently getting my Masters degree in Germany as a DAAD-Stipendiatin in Komparatistik (comp lit) and am looking forward to the specialization of the PhD and my return to the American educational system.

For others who are applying or who are already studying--what programs are you looking at or where are you now? If anyone has suggestions for programs with a strong emphasis on 20th AND 21st century literature, I would love to hear them...

[CarlxxMarx]

Hey! I'm also applying for Fall 2016 German PhD programs. I wish you the best!

I'm currently an undergrad getting my degree in German and Letters at the University of Oklahoma. I'll be applying  to study specifically the Frankfurt School and associated thinkers, the aesthetic environment they were in, and how their methods of critique function.

My plan is to apply at U Chicago (looks like my dreamboat), Northwestern, UDub Seattle, U Indiana Bloomington, Princeton, Harvard, and Cornell. Sadly, I didn't look for literature specialities as much as critical theory, so I don't know about that...

Also, want to critique each other's applications, SOPs, etc? My profs will be helping me but outside advice would be great too

Last thing: were you on a DAAD grant last year? If so, did you attend the North American conference in Köln or the humanities conference in Jena? I was in Leipzig for a year on the DAAD undergraduate grant and wonder if we crossed paths.

[MsCastorp]

Hey! I thought I signed up to get notifications of responses, but apparently not. Fail. 

It's super late, but thanks for your response! How is the application process going thus far?

U Chicago was on my list for a long time, but I eventually decided against them because the program looked too theoretical for my interests.  Good luck!!!

And yes, I was on a DAAD grant last year (still am), and was in both Köln and Jena! I'm sure we ran into each other at some point....it's a small world!

I wish you all the best with finishing up your applications!

[ceterisparibus]

Hey everyone,

I am also applying to US graduate programs; Berkeley, Chicago, Princeton, Yale, Columbia and JHU...

Let me know up if you want to exchange tips and updates...

Good luck and all the best.

[Fingolfin]

Hey!

There's not too many applicants to German programs around here, apparently ... I wonder how many there are in total. I applied to a couple of the programs you applied to as well, ceterisparibus: Yale, JHU, and Columbia. I also applied to Harvard, Cornell, and UMich - and to Warwick (UK) and Oxford (UK).

Good luck, everyone! (If it's only us who applied to German programs in the U.S., all of us should get admissions only.)

[ceterisparibus]

On January 25, 2016 at 1:50 PM, Fingolfin said:

Hey!

There's not too many applicants to German programs around here, apparently ... I wonder how many there are in total. I applied to a couple of the programs you applied to as well, ceterisparibus: Yale, JHU, and Columbia. I also applied to Harvard, Cornell, and UMich - and to Warwick (UK) and Oxford (UK).

Good luck, everyone! (If it's only us who applied to German programs in the U.S., all of us should get admissions only.)

Hello!

yes, I totally agree. I can't quite sustain my excitement any longer.

results! Just give me an answer.

 

[vertige]

Hi! So it seems like German applicants (as with German scholars/professors) are few in number, yet we manage to make ourselves known  I applied to three German programs (Columbia, Brown, JHU) and three Comp. Lit. programs (Cornell, Princeton, Yale) and while I actually visited Princeton, Yale and Brown (and continued dialoguing with Profs via e-mail the weeks following) I feel 100% convinced at this point that I will get no acceptances. 0. Academic life = never gonna happen.

Sweet.

How's everyone holding up? Anyone hear/know anything about JHU or Brown decisions?

[tabletop25]

Hey guys, I am currently a grad student in Germanics at a top 20 state Uni, so maybe I can give some advice. What I've seen from this post is that everyone is applying to Ivy league (or Ivy league-esque) unis. This is incredibly important. Indeed, the only real possibility you have of getting a decent position post-graduation is if you have attended one of these universities. This is quite unfortunate since there are very good scholars being produced from state schools; but na ja. 

I am not going to advise anyone not to pursue it because it has been an excellent experience for me. However, I would like to take this moment to share my two cents as far as academia is concerned. I had a professor who had done everything right: he went to JHU, then Yale, put his time in working at some smaller colleges, and eventually got a tenure track position at a top state research university in the country (the university happens to also be in one of the best cities on the west coast). On paper everything looks great. Yet, in reality, at least to me, it didn't seem to be worth it. On a hot summer day, our seminar, which consisted of only 5 students (make sure to ask how much cross-listing there is!!), we met to discuss a Lessing text. Unfortunately, I had not had time to finish the reading. But I wasn't the only one. Indeed, 2 other students hadn't read the material. So, out of 5 students, 3 hadn't read (we were all TAing and had exams coming up). The professor struggled to fill the time, and had to let us go early. It was at this moment where I thought to myself, "is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life; discuss a book with a bunch of 18-25 year olds that haven't read it, and that seem more bothered by real world issues."

I am not saying this experience is representative of academia as a whole. Nonetheless, it is definitely pervasive enough to warrant introspection. Furthermore, be careful of budgetary cuts (even Yale is facing some serious money issues). Hope this helps.

Also, I have been starting a blog that details my experiences trying to figure out if I should continue grad school or not. Check it out if you're interested please    

http://exgrade.wordpress.com

Übrigens, wenn jemand in NRW ist, sag mal Bescheid. Wir können uns bestimmt beim Kaffee oder so treffen. Ich bin derzeit in Ddorf.

[Fingolfin]

On 4.2.2016 at 9:25 AM, vertige said:

Hi! So it seems like German applicants (as with German scholars/professors) are few in number, yet we manage to make ourselves known  I applied to three German programs (Columbia, Brown, JHU) and three Comp. Lit. programs (Cornell, Princeton, Yale) and while I actually visited Princeton, Yale and Brown (and continued dialoguing with Profs via e-mail the weeks following) I feel 100% convinced at this point that I will get no acceptances. 0. Academic life = never gonna happen.

Sweet.

How's everyone holding up? Anyone hear/know anything about JHU or Brown decisions?

Hey! Great, there's one more! I was starting to think we were something like a dying species ...

Why are you convinced that you will ge no acceptance? Don't give up hope yet! I mean, you visited several of the schools you applied to, and you stayed in touch with some of the professors you talked to ... sounds awesome! I got my first acceptance recently, and it was one from a school I never would've tought might accept me - I hadn't even emailed one of their professors before submitting the application. Also, my GRE results are pretty bad.

Haven't heard from JHU, didn't apply to Brown. Hope some program will break the silence next week.

[vertige]

Hi Fingolfin!! So I am convinced I won't get in because I have a less-than-desirable GPA and educational history (I did do a year of doctoral work at Harvard, but left precipitously -- I try to spin it in my PS, but I'm afraid it comes off as a red flag, especially because I was not a 4.0 student there). I have gotten the impression, more and more, that a lot of these programs love the recent LAC-grad 'Spring Chicken' types from Wesleyan or Pomona College. I also haven't heard from any of my schools in a few weeks, despite having written with a question/update. IDK, I guess if I get one or two acceptances I'll be about the most surprised I've ever been in my life. I've also seen that so-called 'back-up' schools, if they accept, are generally the first to do so (as a strategic move), yet I haven't heard a thing. Sigh. The silence is deafening, but I still prefer it to an early rejection blitz. I just want some good news! (Also I'm applying for jobs and am getting decisions this week and next, not ideal timing).

Where did you get your acceptance, if you don't mind me asking?

[Fingolfin]

For someone who's not that well acquainted with the American college system and culture, would you mind explaining what a "LAC-grad 'Spring Chicken' type" of applicant is? That sounds funny. And it doesn't sound like something I would particularly like.

For whatever reason, I got into Yale (their German program, mind - I see you've applied to their Comp Lit program, who knows what will be the outcome there).
Hope you get these one or two admissions! Fingers crossed! As I don't know the American 'PhD application culture' well, I have no idea whether having left a doctoral program earlier really matters - but if you've explained your decision in your statement, I can't imagine anyone will hold that against you ... And as I said, some parts of my applications are not convincing at all, but apparently they were outweighed by other components.
Also, with decisions on your job applications being due at roughly the same time as PhD program decisions, I'm sure there will be some good news for you in the next couple of weeks! Good luck!!

[ceterisparibus]

Hey everyone,

Has anyone heard from Chicago so far?

[ottoman]

in @ Chicago and Cornell. Very excited! Waiting to hear from some comp lit programs!

[Quell]

Hey Fingolfin. Did you hear from Columbia? 

[Fingolfin]

1 hour ago, Quell said:

Hey Fingolfin. Did you hear from Columbia? 

No, I didn't. Did you? Didn't hear from Cornell either. Congrats for Brown! Nice one!!

So far, I heard back from Yale and Harvard, both accepting me. From what I heard from professors - and from ceterisparibus as well - Harvard's program concentrates on 'old school' philology and isn't too fond of theory (while Yale has a long tradition of theory, like poststructuralist thought, of course). So right now, I figure I'll attend Yale. I guess the only reason I didn't consider them my top choice until recently is that I simply didn't expect to be accepted. ^^
I'll visit both campuses in March, though, to hear what they have to say and get some impressions. A nice trip to Boston won't hurt. Anyone accepted to Harvard and considering to go there? (There must be someone else somewhere in the depths of this forum, read it on the results page.) I guess if you're into traditional philology, narratology, rhetorics, etc. (which I actually am), it's a good choice! And Boston/Cambridge is so damn beautiful ... haha.

7 hours ago, ottoman said:

in @ Chicago and Cornell. Very excited! Waiting to hear from some comp lit programs!

Congrats!!

[ottoman]

2 hours ago, Fingolfin said:

No, I didn't. Did you? Didn't hear from Cornell either. Congrats for Brown! Nice one!!

So far, I heard back from Yale and Harvard, both accepting me. From what I heard from professors - and from ceterisparibus as well - Harvard's program concentrates on 'old school' philology and isn't too fond of theory (while Yale has a long tradition of theory, like poststructuralist thought, of course). So right now, I figure I'll attend Yale. I guess the only reason I didn't consider them my top choice until recently is that I simply didn't expect to be accepted. ^^
I'll visit both campuses in March, though, to hear what they have to say and get some impressions. A nice trip to Boston won't hurt. Anyone accepted to Harvard and considering to go there? (There must be someone else somewhere in the depths of this forum, read it on the results page.) I guess if you're into traditional philology, narratology, rhetorics, etc. (which I actually am), it's a good choice! And Boston/Cambridge is so damn beautiful ... haha.

Congrats!!

Thanks Fingolfin! I guess I will see you in these "transatlantic seminars". Congrats on Yale's acceptance!

[Fingolfin]

Still haven't heard from Columbia, JHU, UMich, and Cornell. Guess I won't be able to visit them even if a late acceptance should come in. I've booked my flight to the US for the visits to Yale and Harvard, I'm excited!
Anyone else preparing the visits?

[vertige]

 

On 2/12/2016 at 10:51 AM, Quell said:

Hey everyone, I got acceptance from Brown yesterday. My second choice. I am happy. Great program! Though my top school was Yale, but didn't make it. Hey Fingolfin, congratulations for Yale! Do not miss the opportunity. I am very familiar with the faculty. I don't know where else you got into, but the Yale is the best within Ivy League without doubt in German Studies. 

Hi Quell! Just FYI, I sent you a private/direct message on here with a question or two about Brown -- they're one of my top choices, yet I haven't gotten any kind of decision yet. I even got an e-mail from Gerhard Richter on February 8th (four days before you posted your acceptance on February 12th) ,and he made it seem like I didn't have a great shot. He said all applicants would be informed soon, after going into a short spiel about how 'difficult decisions were' and how rigorously/thoroughly applications are read. I'm wondering if, after that brief exchange, he decided to move me into a kind of implied waitlist. Sigh. Anyone else get an answer from Brown yet?? I'm dying here!

PS I got rejected from Cornell Comp. Lit. today (not heartbroken, I would be the first to jump in a Gorge) but I had listed their German Dept. as a second option. I know German already sent out decisions, so I hope this doesn't mean I got passed over there, as well. I'm so confused this season...I usually have a fairly good grasp of what's going on, and have a sense for how my app is being perceived/my audience. But right now I'm really going crazy. Also, no JHU German news, right?

Someone give me some kinda deets!  

My life is a mess.

This is how I feel about my applications/rejections:

 

 

[MsCastorp]

Hi everyone! 

Just a quick update from me--I'M GOING TO STANFORD!! It all seems incredibly surreal. I flew out from Germany to visit both it and Berkeley, and realized during the trip that Stanford was exactly what I was looking for. So YAY! I'm so happy to have the decision-making process over with, especially as I was expecting it to drag out much longer. Has anybody else made a decision? 

Also, I just sent out my JHU rejection letter this morning (I got the offer about three weeks ago), so hopefully one of you is on the wait list and will be offered my place soon!

Good luck everyone!!!

Edited February 26, 2016 by MsCastorp

[Fingolfin]

4 hours ago, MsCastorp said:

Hi everyone! 

Just a quick update from me--I'M GOING TO STANFORD!! It all seems incredibly surreal. I flew out from Germany to visit both it and Berkeley, and realized during the trip that Stanford was exactly what I was looking for. So YAY! I'm so happy to have the decision-making process over with, especially as I was expecting it to drag out much longer. Has anybody else made a decision? 

Also, I just sent out my JHU rejection letter this morning (I got the offer about three weeks ago), so hopefully one of you is on the wait list and will be offered my place soon!

Good luck everyone!!!

Congratulations! On your acceptances, but also on your decision! It must feel great to have found a place you're sure you want to study for the next couple of years. Also, I guess there's worse things to do on this earth than studying in the Californian sun ...

[MsCastorp]

On 26. Februar 2016 at 9:47 PM, Fingolfin said:

Congratulations! On your acceptances, but also on your decision! It must feel great to have found a place you're sure you want to study for the next couple of years. Also, I guess there's worse things to do on this earth than studying in the Californian sun ...

Thank you! Yeah, I think I am almost as excited about having everything decided as I am about actually going to Stanford. I thought I would still be debating in April, so I'm super happy things worked out as they did.  And yes, coming from eternally rainy Germany makes California seem like a paradise. 

[thingii]

On 29 February 2016 at 4:19 AM, MsCastorp said:

Thank you! Yeah, I think I am almost as excited about having everything decided as I am about actually going to Stanford. I thought I would still be debating in April, so I'm super happy things worked out as they did.  And yes, coming from eternally rainy Germany makes California seem like a paradise. 

I'm looking forward to leaving Australia for Germany.

I guess man wants what he can't have.

[MsCastorp]

...So where did everyone end up?

[Fingolfin]

Harvard, after all. Their research interests match mine, people were incredibly friendly (not in a 'fake' way, though, at least that's what my impression was), and their German Department seems to be flourishing. I think they'll get better and better during the next couple years, and I'm looking forward to be a part of that.

[MsCastorp]

On 5. Mai 2016 at 2:23 PM, Fingolfin said:

Harvard, after all. Their research interests match mine, people were incredibly friendly (not in a 'fake' way, though, at least that's what my impression was), and their German Department seems to be flourishing. I think they'll get better and better during the next couple years, and I'm looking forward to be a part of that.

Awesome!! Congratulations.